Water reducing valve



Nov. 9, 1937. A. J. sPARRow 2,098,696

WATER REDUC ING VALVE Fi led Jan. 22, 1936 2 SheetS-Sheet 2 INVENTORA.J. Sp arrow .sqm:

ATTRNEY Nov; 9, 1937. A; J s ow 2,098,696

WATER REDUCING VALVE Filed Jan. 22, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l 'INVENTOR A J.S afro w BY Q I & ATTO-R-;EY

Patented Nov. 9, 1937 UNITED S'TATES PATENT OFFICE WATER REDUCING VALVEArthur Joseph Sparrow, Oakland, Calif., assignor to Charles M. BaileyCompany, Inc., San Francisco, Calif., a Corporation of CaliforniaApplication January 22, 1936, Serial No. 60,223

3 Claims.

This invention relates to water reducing Valves, my principal objectsbeing to provide a valve of this character having a number of advantagesover such valves as they 'are at present constructed and as will be seenlater. As a result of my valve improvements increased eficiency andsmoothness of operation under all conditions is obtained, there iscomplete freedom from sticking and possible failure to function if notused for some time; greater ease in cleaning out the valve parts whennecessary is obtained; longer life without giving trouble or needingrepairs is had; and very close regulation of the valve to suit differentworking conditions is permitted.

These and other objects I accomplish by means of such structure andrelative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of thefollowing specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate correspondingparts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved water reducing valve and theconnecting piping; one check or pilot valve being shown in section.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional elevation of the reducing valvedetached looking from the.

side opposte to Figure 1, and with the piping and other fittingsremoved.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on thedrawings, the numeral l denotes a horizontal or straight water passagemember flanged at its ends for connection to the standard and similarlyfianged pipe 2 of the water flow line in which the member l isinterposed.

Formed with said member I 'and extending upwardly therefrom at an angleof substantially 45 degrees in the direction away from the high pressureor up stream end of the member is a valve casing 3. This includes arelatively large lower cylindrical chamber 4 cutting into andcommunicating with the passage of the member I. The upper end of thecasing is of reduced size relative to the chamber d and supports a guideand bearing sleeve 5 for a preferably hollow cylindrical valve body orstem 6, whose axis is of course also disposed at 45 degrees to the axisof the member l.

Adjacent its lower end the stem 6 is provided With an annular valve ring'l of rubber or the like which cooperates with a valve seat cup 8removably secured in the lower end of the casing 3 and extendingdiagonally across the member l sc that when' the ring 'I is seated, itforms a closure between the opposte ends of said member I, as will beevident Removably Secured on the valve stern below the ring 1 andoverlapping the same to removably clamp it in place is a substantiallycone or needle shaped point 9 which thus projects into the member l onthehigh pressure side of the valve seat and presents a substantiallystream lined surface to the flow of water, materially reducing thefriction of such flow.

Removably secured on and projecting upwardly from the casing 3 andholding the sleeve 5 against removal is a tubular extension IE, somewhatlarger in bore than said sleeve and practically forming a part of thevalve casing itself. This extension at its upper end, slightly above thetop of the valve stern when the latter is seated, is formed with anoutwardly projecting flange H. This fiange provides a clamping seat forthe peripheral portion of a fiexible diaphragm i2 preferably of leatherwhich extends across the top of the valve stern. The space between thisdiaphragm. and the extension lil; forms a low pressure chamber M.

Above and spaced from the diaphragm |2 is a similar diaphragm !5, theperipheral portion of which bears against a flange IS formed on a' capl'l. A circular band !8 between the diaphragms engages the adjacentperipheral portions of the same, said portions being clamped inwater-tight relation with the band and with the fianges by bolts aeco-nnecting the flanges outwardly of the band. From the aboveconstruction it will be seen that the valve casing 3, the extension m,the band 18,' and cap H form a water-tight housing or casing in whichthe valve structure and its control elements are enclosed. V

The interior of the cap ll above the diaphragm !5. forms a high pressurechamber 20 while the space j enclosed between the diaphragms forms anequalizing chamber' ZI; com'- munication between said chamber and themernber I on the low pressure or down stream side of the same'being hadby a relatively small pipe 22 tapping the band es. Relief cocks 23- areseparately connected to the chambers !4, '20 and 21. The diaphragms areclamped together 'at the center and to the valve stern by means of aspacer 24 disposed therebetween, a Washer 25 over the corres'pondingportion of the diaphragm !5, and bolts 26 extending through the' Washerand spacer into the top of the stern.

A pilot or by-pass pipe or Conduit 21 (see Figure 1) extends from thehigh pressure' side of the member l to a connection with the lowpressure pipe 2 with a normally closed adjustable pilot valve 28 ofstandard character interposed in said pipe 21 and opening toward the lowpressure or down stream side thereof. A lateral pipe 29 is connected tothe pipe 21 intermediate the valve 28 and the high pressure end of thepipe 21 and leads to the cap l'l, there being a restricted passagethrough said pipe 29, as indicated somewhat diagrammatically at P' in"Figure 1.- A relief valve 30, which may-be of the' `lengthwise in thestem 6 and extending from below to above the sleeve 5.

In operation the high pressure water under the main valve and the lowpressure Water in the chamber !4 under the diaphragm !2 tends toforcethe valve open. High pressure water is also admitted to the chamber 20above the diaphragm |5 through the restricted passage P in pipe 29. Whena certain high pressure builds up in said chamber, it causes the valveto close on account of the fact that the diaphragrn !5 has a greaterexposed area than the diaphragm 12 and the pressure thus built up issufficient to overcome the combined low pressure in the chamber !4 andthe high pressure acting against the bottom of the main valve as aboveset out.

When the down streampressure in the pipe line drops the pilot valve 28opens and due to the restricted opening P, the high pressure bleeds fromthe chamber 20 through the pilot valve. This relieves the diaphragm !5of the closing pressure thereagainst and causes said valve to open byreason of the removal of the pressures actingthereon. When thedownstream pressure is then increased by the flow through the main linepast the main valve, the pilot valve again closes and high pressureagain builds up in the chamber 20 to cause the main valve to close.

Low pressure being always present in the chamber 2l between thediaphragms, a stabilizing effect is had preventing any fluttering ortendency to "hunt. The relief valve 30 prevents any building up of downstream pressure in the chamber M. If the low pressure sh-euld build uptoo high in said chamber this relief valve opens and releases the waterfrom the chamber I 4 faster than it can be admitted through the valvestem grooves 32.

From the above description it will be seen that I obtain numerousadvantages over the ordinary' form of reducing valve. The needle typevalve, the straight line flow of water past the same, and thearrangement of the valve at a .45 degree angle eliminate a pressure dropand increase the capacity of the valve. This feature is aided by theelimination of any packing glands, guide members etc. in the line offlow. The adjustable pilot valve arrangement which controls the flow tothe upper diaphragm insures a close regulation of operation of the mainvalve being obtainable. The diaphragms will last indeflnitely undernormal conditions, and will not stick as do cup leathers as-they haveno-friction surfaces. The valve can therefore be shut down for longperiods (as when used in fire control apparatus) with the assurance thatthe valve will work when Wanted. Also the difference in area of thediaphragms insures the easy and free movement'of the valve.

No springs or Weights are used in connection with the main valve tocause the different opening and closing pressures on the valve, and theaction depends solely on the hydraulic balance between V the difierentareas of the two diaphragms. The

valve seat and the engaging ring'l thereof, as Well as the stream lineneedle point 'on the valve, being removable, they may be'easily renewedWhen necessary. All the pilot piping being outside the main valvecasing, it may be easily cleaned and is preferably made of Copper toeliminate corrosion.

V member drops apredetermined From the foregoing description it will bereadily seen that I have produced such a device as substantiallyfulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein. V

'While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preierredConstruction of the de- "Vi'ce, still in practice such deviations fromsuch detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from thespirit of the invention, as deflred by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A reducing valve comprising a passage member adapted to form* part ofa liquid-flow line, means forming a closure in the member intermediateits ends to provide high and low pressure areas therein and comprising avalve seat fixed in,

the member and an axially movable valve enga ing said seat, .and havinga 'stern projecting outwardly from said member, said valve opening inthe direction of flow of the liquid, a casing structure into which thevalve stern projects outwardly of the member, a pair of axially spaceddiaphragms disposed at right ,angles to and beyond the valve stern,means securing the diaphragms to the stern, means securing thediaphragms about their perphery in the casing structure so as to formwith said structure, separate enclosed chambers on opposite sides of andbetween the diaphragms, passage means -from the low pressu're area ofthe member to the chamber nearest'the same, passage means from saidarea'to the chambetween the diaphragms, a conduit from the high pressurearea of the member to the remainchamber, and. means between said conduitand the low'pressure area of the member to allow the high pressure'liquid. to bleed from said remaining chamber when the low pressure inthe amount relative to the high pressure. r i I 2. A structure as inclaim 1, with a normally' closed petcock valve connected to the ,chamberY between the diaphragms.

3. A reducing valve comprising a passagemem'- beradapted to form part ofa liquid-flow line,

means forming a closure in the member interstructure so as to form, withsaid structure, separate enclosed chambers on opposite sides of andbetween the diaphragms, passage means from the low pressure area of the'member to'the' chamber nearest the same, passage means from said area tothe chamber between the diaphragms, a conduit from the high pressurearea of the member to' the remaining chamber, another conduit connectingsaid first named conduit and the low pressure side of the member, and anadjustabie relief valve in said other conduit opening in'the directionof said low pressure side.

ARTHUR JOSEPH SPARROW.

